An Ecuadorian judge ordered former presidential candidate Luisa Gonzalez to remain in custody Friday after her arrest in Canuto on suspicion of money laundering; separately, prosecutors are investigating her 2023 campaign financing, AFP reported.
AFP reported that the prosecutors’ inquiry covers seven people and includes $500,000 in advertising expenditure tied to the campaign. Ecuador’s Attorney General’s Office has said investigators are examining alleged irregularities in campaign contributions and checking whether the money came from a lawful source.
Reuters earlier reported that an Attorney General’s Office video placed the advertising activity between May and August 2023 and put the amount routed through legal entities at about $500,000. The office did not disclose the funding source or identify contributors.
Gonzalez has denied wrongdoing and called the accusations “absurd,” AFP reported. AFP said Gonzalez, Citizens’ Revolution and former President Rafael Correa have characterized the arrest as political persecution. At a Thursday news conference, Citizens’ Revolution President Gabriela Rivadeneira said, “Ecuador is living under a dictatorship.”
AFP reported that Citizens’ Revolution is barred from next month’s local elections.
